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What are the Benefits of Holding the PFP®?

In addition to qualifying you to develop and manage comprehensive financial plans for your clients, your PFP® designation provides you with the following benefits and exclusive member access:

The PFP® is approved by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) for using the Financial Planner title in the province of Ontario.  

If you use the title “financial Planner” in the province of Ontario you must hold a recognized financial planning designation approved by FSRA.   

Access online resources and customizable marketing materials through the PFP® Member Portal to help you promote yourself, your designation, educate your clients about the PFP® and build your practice.

Free access to all webinars designed for financial advisors on the latest industry trends and topics through CSI Live.

Get listed in CSI’s PFP® Directory, which helps clients find you and verify your credentials. You can also use the PFP® trademark designation letters in marketing materials.

Access to the member’s only PFP® networking group on LinkedIn and opportunity to conduct your own webinar through CSI Podium.

The CE Tracker is an interactive dashboard that serves as a central repository for PFP® holders to track and manage their CE requirements to maintain their PFP® designation.

National promotion and advertising campaigns that create awareness of the PFP® designation, including opportunities to be featured.

PFP® Annual Report

In appreciation of the time and effort you have put towards earning and maintaining your designation, we have created the PFP® Annual Report to provide more details about your designation. It outlines the number of new designation holders, promotional activities, member benefit activities and an overview of the PFP® Advisory Council meetings.

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How does CSI Promote the PFP® Designation?

CSI works hard to promote the PFP® letters on behalf of our designation holders. Our goal is to build awareness of the PFP® by emphasizing its value to the financial services community, employers and the investing public. We do this annually through advertising and public relations campaigns across print, digital and out-of-home (public) media.

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How Can PFP® Holders Get Involved?

To help us continue developing, delivering and maintaining the Personal Financial Planner (PFP®) Designation to the high standard expected by the financial services industry, CSI contracts with practicing designation holders for compensation to participate in the development of the AFP Examination in the opportunities described below. If you’re interested in this great opportunity to contribute to the growth of your designation, please let us know.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE PFP®

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AFP Examination Review Committees

An Examination Review Committee is formed for each of AFP Exam 1 and AFP Exam 2. Members of each committee review and approve examination items, approve the final examination form and, with assistance from testing consultants, determine the pass mark for each examination.

Members of the Examination Review Committees are active participants in the creation of the examination. The development cycle for each examination includes the review of content and submission of feedback related to that content, participation in web meetings/conference calls to review and discuss the examination feedback and attendance in at least one meeting to approve the final examination. Each development cycle is approximately four to six months in length and committee members participate for a two-year term that can be renewed. Committee members will receive an honorarium and continuing education credits for each development cycle.

This is an excellent opportunity for professionals with an interest in examination standards and expert knowledge in one or more areas of financial planning to improve and expand their own knowledge and skills through collaboration with other professionals.

Examination Item Writing and Review

With an extensive portfolio of courses and examinations, CSI relies on the subject matter expertise of a wide range of professionals in the financial services industry. If you have an interest in examination standards, writing, and sharing your knowledge and experience, consider putting your name forward to develop examination content. Item writers receive training and materials and are contacted on an as-needed basis to develop examination content for which they are remunerated.

Examination Standard Setting

Standard setting is the task of determining levels of performance for professional assessments. This involves, among other tasks, identifying candidate populations and making judgments on expected performance to determine the standard that candidates must meet to pass the AFP certification examinations. When a new AFP Exam 1 or AFP Exam 2 is published, a group is brought together to determine the standard necessary to pass the administered examination.

CSI hosts a standard setting session when new versions of AFP Exam 1 and AFP Exam 2 are developed. This is an excellent opportunity for PFP®s, who have the ability to judge the knowledge, skills and abilities required for entry-level financial planners, an interest in education and standards, a desire to expand their own knowledge and skills, and an interest in contributing to the growth of the PFP®s designation. Participants will be reimbursed for reasonable expenses related to the meetings as per CSI’s travel and expense guidelines.

Examination Marking

AFP Exam 2 is a constructed-response examination where candidates record written responses to posed questions. Such responses require marking from trained professionals against a pre-determined answer key and marking structure. The answer key is vetted and calibrated extensively to ensure fairness to all candidates. CSI looks to engage interested PFP® professionals to participate as AFP Exam 2 Markers. Selected individuals will be required to participate in training sessions and will receive a payment per examination completed.

If you would like to get involved with any of these opportunities, please visit the Subject Matter Expert page on our website to express your interest.

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